The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal of lower court rulings that struck down part of an ethics code the Montgomery County Commissioners approved nearly two years ago. It barred more than a 100 county employees, largely in the district attorney’s office, from engaging in political activity. District Attorney Risa Ferman (pictured here) and the late Sheriff John Durante filed appeals, arguing that the county commissioners did not have the authority to interfere with the way independently elected department heads ran their offices. The state’s highest court wants lawyers on both sides to limit their arguments to the supervisory authority the commissioners have over employees of other county elected officials.